Liverpool

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Liverpool will be without midfielder Ryan Gravenberch against Eintracht Frankfurt because of an ankle injury sustained against Manchester United - but head coach Arne Slot has not ruled him out of Saturday's match at Brentford.

The Netherlands international has been one of the Reds' best performers so far this season and Slot highlighted his importance to his team.

"We have to wait and see, give him a bit of time and see where he is when we come back from Frankfurt," Slot told Liverpool's official website.

"It already means I definitely have to change one player. With him not being there, that might mean something for others as well, because he has such a particular quality in our squad.

"We've seen that when we played Bournemouth, for example, and when we played the Community Shield. We missed a little bit of a player that was always protecting our back four.

"Hopefully he will be available at the weekend."

Josh Sexton
Fan writer

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Here are five ways Arne Slot can fix his Liverpool team before their ambitions run away from them this season...

1. Rotate Mohamed Salah

This is a tricky one for both player and manager, but ultimately no player is bigger than the club. Mo is in a tricky moment and shouldn't be immune from criticism, and therefore should be open to dropping in and out more as he fights alongside his team-mates to find form.

2. Drop Alexis Mac Allister

After some strange injury issues at the back end of 2024-25 bled into the start of this season, it has become clear that Mac Allister is struggling for both form and fitness. He has been brilliant for Slot so I completely understand the loyalty being shown towards him, but he is upsetting the balance of the midfield right now and needs a spell out of the side to allow others in better form to step in.

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3. Leave Milos Kerkez out

The youngster was brilliant at Bournemouth but appears to be struggling with the pressure of playing for a big club like Liverpool, with a more expansive style that leaves him a little less protected. Meanwhile, the manager has continued to persist with him, which has opened him up for criticism. It doesn't have to be Andy Robertson, either. If it can be Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back, why can't it be Joe Gomez (for example) at left-back?

4. Play Hugo Ekitike

Aside from Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravernberch, Ekitike has arguably been the most in-form man this season for the Reds. He made a major mistake in getting sent off against Southampton, one that seems a sliding doors moment more with every passing week and loss, but his energy and surety through the middle makes such a difference.

5. Keep Szoboszlai in midfield

Slot saw success last season in simplifying the roles of a number of his players, especially those who had been struggling previously. Szoboszlai has been great but the toll is starting to become clear and he is being exposed time and again at right-back, as teams figure him out more in that position. Jeremie Frimpong was signed to play right-back and has hardly had a sniff, so why not give him an extended run instead?

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Liverpool are considering a move for Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, 25, in the January transfer window. (i Paper - subscription required), external

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Liverpool's pre-match news conference for their Champions League game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday has been cancelled.

The club said: "A delay in the Reds squad's scheduled flight to Frankfurt, due to technical issues with the aircraft, means the briefing will now not be able to take place."

Coach Arne Slot was expected to answer questions on the fitness of Ryan Gravenberch after the midfielder missed training on Tuesday.

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Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Dino Toppmoller says Liverpool "seem to lack a bit of a spark at the moment" but have been "the better team" in each game of their current four-match losing streak.

The Reds visit Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday on the back of defeats at Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea - and, most recently, by Manchester United at Anfield.

It is the worst losing run the club have experienced since 2014 under Brendon Rodgers and Toppmoller believes this will only add to their motivation.

"When you watch the games, which of course we did, you see that they seem to lack a bit of a spark at the moment," he said.

"But in every game, they've been the better team and have had more chances at goal.

"We're expecting a world-class team. You've got to be aware of what it does to a team to lose four in a row."

Arne Slot left £116m summer signing Floran Wirtz on the bench for Sunday's loss to United, with the Germany international yet to register a goal or assist since his arrival at Anfield.

However, Toppmoller said Wirtz's performances were "quite decent, even if he hasn't got the numbers he had in Leverkusen".

"He's at a club where the spotlight is so bright and where people across the world are always watching," he added.

"I'm incredibly convinced of his quality. I hope he doesn't show that tomorrow, that's something we should worry about."

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

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Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was absent from training before Wednesday's Champions League game at Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Netherlands international suffered an ankle injury during Sunday's defeat by Manchester United at Anfield. He was able to complete 62 minutes before being withdrawn as part of a wholesale tactical change by head coach Arne Slot.

Gravenberch, 23, has become crucial to Slot's set-up, operating as a defensive midfielder.

His ability to break up opposition play, recycle possession and shield the backline is unmatched within the current squad.

His absence also leaves a notable gap, particularly in transitional play, and it could force the manager to adjust his midfield set-up for both domestic and European matches.

Curtis Jones, who came on in Gravenberch's place on Sunday, is arguably the most natural option capable of covering this position, but he does not offer the same defensive presence or control.

Wataru Endo has returned to training after a hamstring injury, but appears unlikely to be considered for Gravenberch's role in Germany.

Liverpool's defence has already conceded 15 goals this season, and we are only in October, making Gravenberch's absence even more significant.

Slot will need to adjust the midfield balance carefully, as how quickly Gravenberch returns could be key for stabilising the team for crucial Champions League and domestic fixtures.

Slot is due to face the media later on Tuesday so return to this page for all the key lines from his news conference

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has been unpicking the club's full-back situation.

On BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Warnock expressed the signing of Jeremie Frimpong is a "utility player" but not a defender.

"The right-back situation is a mess," former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"Szoboszlai has been their best midfielder, so playing him there kills him. And Frimpong, I don't care what anyone says, how can you spend that money on a right-back who can't really play there? It's bonkers."

The team also discussed the form of Milos Kerkez since his move to Anfield.

Warnock added: "I thought it would be a really good signing. Bournemouth under Iraola are a counter-attacking team. He was a counter-attacking full-back. He always had that space to drive into. Now he doesn't because you dominate the football. Is he good enough on the ball? I think he is but at the moment I think he is trying too hard.

"I think the situation now is Bradley and Kerkez want to fly forward. Robertson last year wasn't a flying full-back. He sat in and made it a back three. That's when Liverpool were more solid last year. So you are losing that balance at the back as well."

Listen to Monday Night Club here

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Liverpool versus Manchester United was a cracker, filled with incidents, effort and talking points.

‌Are Liverpool in crisis? Is that really Mo Salah out on the wing and are they a group of individuals not a team?

Was the referee harsh on them for the first goal? Has Arne Slot destroyed a squad that was so successful? And so on...

‌The United questions are just as obvious: is this a turning point? Why don't they show that level of desire every week? Were they actually just a bit lucky as Liverpool hit the post three times? And if the famous 3-4-2-1 system can win at Anfield, can it succeed everywhere?

‌Tempting though it is to answer all of these after one pulsating match, or in Liverpool's case four defeats in a row, it's still nothing more than guesswork this early in the season.

‌My guess is that Liverpool will be fine, they are still making plenty of chances and there are some very good players who will improve and definitely learn to work better together.

‌Manchester United are harder to read. Under Ruben Amorim they have had more false dawns than a Scottish winter. If they are still within striking distance of the top four by Christmas then acceptable progress will have been made.

In the meantime, United fans must celebrate a famous, rare victory at Anfield - and then hope it isn't a one off.

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Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist

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Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool's talisman for the past eight seasons.

But, after scoring 29 goals in 38 league games last season, the winger has not been firing on all cylinders so far this term.

Salah has not scored in the Premier League since 14 September when he netted a stoppage-time penalty to earn a 1-0 win over Burnley, while he has not scored from open play in the league since the Reds' opening game against Bournemouth.

• Read: What does Slot need to change?

It is the first time he has gone seven consecutive Premier League games without scoring a non-penalty goal since joining the Reds back in 2017.

The 33-year-old's lack of form was summed up on Sunday when he skewed a golden opportunity wide in front of the Kop as Liverpool were chasing an equaliser.

Salah seems to be lacking confidence when it comes to taking on defenders. Known for his rapid attacking runs, the Egyptian isn't driving fearlessly at defences the way he used to.

Slow build-up play isn't helping Salah, who thrives when attacking at speed and prefers to face defenders head-on, rather than with his back to goal.

Premier League great Wayne Rooney has questioned Salah's recent work ethic and, without contributing in front of goal, more scrutiny has been placed on his reluctance to track back and help out in defence.

But does Slot feel confident enough to drop a player who has been Liverpool's hero on so many occasions?

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Arne Slot won the Premier League for Liverpool last season. That much gives him an entire year to make mistakes without even the threat of losing his job.

But my word, he made some strange decisions against Manchester United.

In the first half, five Liverpool players were standing on United's backline when we had the ball. All three forwards, plus Alexis Mac Allister and Dom Szoboszlai. There was no midfield and, as a result, no chance for build-up.

Mac Allister, who is having a genuinely dreadful season, is not a striker. If you are going to play a midfielder that high up, why would you not use Florian Wirtz? The German was just about Liverpool's only bright spark when he came on for 30 minutes - he created three chances and showed a sublime touch between the lines.

Mac Allister is way, way off it. He scored two for Argentina during the international break, but looks a complete shadow of himself. He is not getting stuck in, he is not controlling play and he is not making any passes. It is very odd.

Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah were in contention for Premier League player of the season last term, with the latter winning it, but he has been very poor, too.

It says a lot when Slot is taking Salah off with five minutes to go. His replacement, Jeremie Frimpong, beat his man and put a cross on a plate for Cody Gakpo, who somehow missed an open goal.

There is an issue with confidence, an issue with coherence and an issue with tactics; there are none. Liverpool have multiple brilliant players but all are playing in slightly odd positions that do not suit them.

Slot has lost four games on the trot with one of the most expensively assembled squads in the history of football. He needs to step it up.

Put yourself in Slot's shoes - what does he need to change to turn Liverpool's form around?

Send us your thoughts here

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We asked for your views on what Liverpool boss Arne Slot needs to do to turn his side's poor form around after four straight defeats.

Here are some of your comments:

Jim: For goodness sake. Liverpool have torn up last season's champion team and, regardless of the amount spent on new players, Slot will need time to rebuild, which all true Reds fans know he has earned. The media is creating a crisis out of a setback. Top four finish would be a good season for us regardless of foolish media forecasts based on the first five games of the season. It's a cliche - but form is temporary, class is permanent.

Daniel: Liverpool have not been terrible, they have been just off the pace. There is no-one better situated than Slot to fix it. He needs to go back to basics and play a team that has the most minutes together. Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson, for example, to provide solidity at the back. Get better service to Mohamed Salah and play to strengths. Give the new recruits more time in practice to get used to the tactics of the team, the pace and the physicality. It is fine margins we need to turn around.

Mark: This will be a real test for Arne. He won the league with Jurgen Klopp's team - now he is building his own side. Riding high on emotion from the successes of his predecessor, he (and the revamped squad) will be afforded time by the fans to get where they are expected to. However, without progress, without wins, without passion and desire coming through both on and off the pitch, how long will that goodwill last? The comparisons will soon be made.

David: I am not a football manager and always say it is easy when you're sitting in an armchair staring at the screen. But, tactically, I would employ a solid 4-4-2 formation. At the end of Sunday's match, it looked very much like a schoolboy game with lots of players occupying the same area of the playing surface. Slot will turn it around because there are still lots of games left in the season.

Phil: Ibrahima Konate is our main weakness. Not getting Marc Guehi has been a big blow to our defence. We need to get two or three decent defenders in the January window.

Ian: Drop Salah and the rest of those who are not performing. Retaining deadwood in the starting XI is putting us at an immediate disadvantage and that has to stop.

Stevo: Players look lost and are very disjointed and confidence has gone leading to lack of concentration and conceding silly avoidable goals. We don't have a player who can get the game by the scruff of the neck. I just can't see us retaining our title.

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British-record signing Alexander Isak is not doing enough to justify starting ahead of Hugo Ekitike for Liverpool, says former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

Isak joined the Reds at the start of September for £125m, but has since scored one goal - in the Carabao Cup - in seven appearances.

Sunday's loss to Manchester United at Anfield was his third Premier League start in a row without scoring.

Fellow forward Ekitike, who was a substitute against the Red Devils, has scored four goals for Liverpool, with three of those coming in the league.

"I wouldn't play Isak. He hasn't looked ready since coming from Newcastle," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.

"He hasn't trained and he hasn't had a pre-season - that's so important. While Newcastle were training, he was probably sitting at home on the phone to his agent for six hours a day trying to get a move.

"It's so difficult when you don't have a pre-season. He might have done stuff by himself but he's paying the price of it.

"On performances, he doesn't deserve to be playing ahead of Ekitike."

Defeat by Manchester United was Liverpool's fourth loss in a row in all competitions, the first time they have endured such a run since November 2014.

Liverpool won the Premier League title last season and, even though they started strongly this term with seven successive wins, they have rarely put together consistently impressive displays across entire games.

"They have got a bit complacent," added Rooney.

"You forget because he won the Premier League, but Arne Slot is still quite young. He is 46 years of age and this is the first time he has lost four in a row in his career.

"[Against Manchester United] he was arguing with the officials on the touchline. I haven't seen that before from him.

"We're starting to see things unfold, which shows that there is pressure there."

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Neil Atkinson from The Anfield Wrap says Liverpool's performance against Manchester United was "hugely frustrating" and admits head coach Arne Slot has "a lot to do" to break their current run of four consecutive defeats.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast, Atkinson said: "Getting beaten by Everton is worse than getting beaten by Manchester United - it's important to keep things in proportion.

"The match was hugely frustrating in a number of different ways. It was yet another game where Liverpool were 1-0 down before 20 minutes and they were slightly the architects of their own downfall.

"It's fair to say the goal should be more controversial. I'm surprised everybody has glossed over the fact that the lad was down with a head injury. Everyone expected the game to be stopped by the referee, who had an eccentric game at best.

"But Liverpool - the league champions - look very easy to wound at the minute. There are a number of players that played very well last season who look nowhere near those levels this season.

"There's a lot for the manager to do because one of the things that happens when you're on a bad run of form is the players play each other out of form.

"The goalkeeper wasn't great for the opening goal. Virgil van Dijk had his poorest minutes of football since the Community Shield, so that's all very telling."

Match of the Day pundit Shay Given says that referee Michael Oliver made the right decision to allow Bryan Mbeumo's goal to stand in Manchester United's 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Premier League.

Mbeumo gave United the lead inside two minutes but Liverpool's players were frustrated that play continued after Alexis Mac Allister went down holding his head after clattering into Virgil van Dijk's elbow.

We asked for your thoughts on Liverpool's defeat by Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.

Here are some of your comments:

Carl: I don't think we really looked like a balanced team until after the 75th-minute substitutions - Federico Chiesa et al. Slot has to stop playing by monopoly numbers (player by pound value - totally meaningless). Just put a side out that can win and forget these overpriced prima donnas.

Mike: On a different day, Cody Gakpo scores four and Liverpool win comfortably. But that would be papering over cracks. It's understandable that so many new players will take time to bed in together, but Milos Kerkez is not an upgrade as it stands. The sale of Trent Alexander-Arnold features a lot but, for me, the sale of Luis Diaz has been more detrimental.

Pete: Everything was so SLOW. Gone are the days of the fast break which has always brought us so much joy! It looks like the team have never met each other before. It's like they have been picked to play from a random bus queue.

Ken: A poor first half but we fought well in second half. The first goal should not have stood - serious head injury and the referee should have stopped play. We were denied at least three goals by the woodwork. Clearly, we must stop the rot in next few games.

Marwan: Arne Slot was fortunate to guide Liverpool to winning the title last season with a Jurgen Klopp team. The more tweaks and changes he makes to that winning team in terms of tactics and personnel, or in terms of team selections and substitutions, the more he is found out to be clueless, limited and weak. Liverpool should get rid of him and go for Andoni Iraola before it is too late.

Paul: 10 out of 10 to Manchester United. They came with a plan and executed it. Liverpool started slowly - again - and are left blaming different decisions. Too easy to get at, gaps all over the place, and subbing Mohamed Salah seems to be against the law. They are a mile off it.

James: Obviously gutted with the result but no time to panic. The players need time to bed in. They definitely need to relax and not try as hard up front. When this happens they will begin to take teams apart.

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

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The contrast between Liverpool's defensive statistics after eight league games of last season and this campaign are stark.

At this stage of 2024-25 they had let in just three goals. That has rocketed to 11 this time round as Arne Slot's side have looked increasingly vulnerable at the back.

That tally of 11 conceded is five more than promoted Sunderland have.

The Reds last kept a clean sheet against Burnley on 14 September, and that is one of only two they have managed in 12 games in all competitions.

Set pieces are also a huge worry. The five goals Liverpool have let in so far is only surpassed by struggling Nottingham Forest (six), Leeds United (six) and West Ham United (eight).

While since the beginning of May, Liverpool have conceded two or more goals in more top-flight games than any other side, having done so in a remarkable eight of their 12 league fixtures in that time.

"We take a lot of risks," Slot said after Sunday's loss. "After the 62nd minute we had six or seven offensive players on the pitch. That is maybe why our structure for the set-piece was not as perfect as we usually are.

"Usually we would have more defensive players on the pitch. Maybe it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. We know we have to do better."

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The form of talismanic forward Mohamed Salah, who former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney believes is "in the top five greatest ever Premier League players", is a concern for Liverpool.

Salah was a key factor in Liverpool's title win last season, scoring 29 goals in 38 Premier League games.

However, the 33-year-old has looked a shadow of his usual self so far this season and struggled to make an impact against United - a side he has scored 16 goals against in 17 previous appearances.

"Salah has played a lot of games over the past few years. He has been the main man and carried that pressure," Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.

Salah's future at Liverpool had appeared uncertain last season until he signed a new two-year contract in April, extending his Anfield stay after joining from Roma in 2017.

Rooney added: "There was talk of him leaving and then he signed a new deal, but it wouldn't surprise me if he does leave the club in the summer.

"I've loved watching him, he is a fantastic player, but I think it might've caught up. You don't want to admit it, but it does get you and next thing you're gone."

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Liverpool are struggling defensively and it is costing them points.

After eight league games last term, they had only conceded three goals - none from set-pieces - and had kept five clean sheets.

So far, they have shipped 11 goals, five of which have been from set-plays, and kept two clean sheets.

"It's a little bit disjointed," said ex-Premier League striker Troy Deeney, who agreed with fellow Match of the Day pundit Shay Given that the Reds' summer recruitment was top heavy.

The former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper said it is also the role of the forward players to defend because "you defend from the front", but that is difficult when Arne Slot does not yet know his first-choice line-up.

The fragility of Liverpool meant Manchester United's front three of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount could use their pace to their advantage and cause Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate problems.

"It was probably one of the only Liverpool games that I've watched and thought Van Dijk looked rattled, especially in the first half," said former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"It's because he is having to cover Milos Kerkez, who I think right now has to come out of the team. He is struggling and does not look like he can carry that Liverpool shirt at the moment.

"Amad [Diallo] and Mbeumo were causing him a lot of problems down that side.

"It was actually Konate who was bailing Van Dijk out, which doesn't happen often. He was the best defender for Liverpool in this game."

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Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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Liverpool's fourth successive loss was barely thinkable after the ease with which they won last season's Premier League title, then built on that triumph by spending almost £450m on new talent.

The champions have been short of their best since the season started, with a series of dramatic wins snatched by late goals starting to become a distant memory after this latest defeat - insult added to injury by the fact it was inflicted by bitter rivals Manchester United at their Anfield fortress.

Liverpool's defensive vulnerability has been consistently exposed all season, with United taking fewer than two minutes to inflict punishment, although whether referee Michael Oliver should have stopped play for Alexis Mac Allister's head injury is a serious point of debate.

It must be said Liverpool did not enjoy much luck, the woodwork struck three times, but they were, on too many occasions, ponderous and looking short of ideas - and also felt the wrath of their own supporters as frustrations grew.

Their last chance was a stoppage-time header Cody Gakpo somehow diverted wide, leaving Liverpool's fans in despair and the United followers jubilant.

What was portrayed as a Liverpool blip now looks like it may be something more.

Arne Slot spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Liverpool's defeat against Manchester United: "It is always difficult to play against a team that defends in a low block and mainly plays the long ball. It makes it even more difficult when you go one down after one minute when one of our players are on the floor.

"If you would have told me before the game that against the low block, against so many long balls, that we would have created as many chances as we did I would have not expected us to lose. But that is what we did.

"We had enough chances to score more than one goal, but on the other hand again conceding two and one of the two was the set piece."

On today's defeat being a repeat of previous losses: "Yes. Of course we concede maybe one or two extra chances apart from the goals we conceded but you always have to take extra risk when you are 1-0 down. Taking that into account, we hardly conceded a chance and we are waiting for us to score a goal, we have to defend the set piece. Like against Palace and a few other moments this season, we've conceded on a set piece and that is hard to take because it is very difficult to win a game of football if you have a negative balance on set pieces."

Captain Virgil van Dijk spoke to Sky Sports after Sunday's defeat: "I think we conceded a very sloppy second goal. We worked so hard to get back into the game and we created great opportunities to score the winner but if you concede a second goal like that, that is the disappointing part.

"If you look at the game as a whole, we were far too rushed. I think they were very patient they didn't press us high but they didn't let us on the ball. We still created many opportunities to score but the reality is that we lost."

On what is next: "It is an interesting time because we have to stick together, not just us as players but as a club and the fans who want us to win."

Did you know?

Liverpool have lost four consecutive matches across all competitions for the first time since November 2014, with the Reds losing three Premier League games in a row for the first time since February 2021 (4).